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Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row strength standards

What is a good Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row is about 73 lb (0.41x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 94 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 73 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 94 lb Advanced standard
Gym median Separate tab Self-reported, not blended
Check My Level Estimate Your 1RM Methodology
Evidence ledger No blended rankings
Primary source FitnessVolt standards model
Available views Standards
Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.

Quick Answer Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row

A solid (Intermediate) Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row for a 180 lb male is about 73 lb (0.41x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 94 lb (0.52x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles middle-back
Equipment dumbbell
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - The level table for this exercise is modeled from FitnessVolt strength ratios for a related base lift, not from direct measurements of this movement. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 73 lbs (0.41x bodyweight) on the Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row ranks Intermediate on the FVCP competition scale, stronger than ~50% of verified competition lifters at this bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.

Over 40? Our calculator also reports an age-adjusted percentile and an age-30 equivalent using the McCulloch age factor, so masters lifters are compared to lifters their own age. See the age-adjusted (Masters 40+) standards below for the full breakdown.

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
Your FVCP:
Age-adjusted percentile
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
th percentile

Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your lift falls, not a measured frequency count.

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Share your FVCP with friends
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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

73 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.41x x Bodyweight

Baseline figures for a 180 lb male at Intermediate level, from the standards table. This is not reader-submitted data. So far readers have logged a lift here.

Enter your numbers above first. We publish reader benchmarks only after a sample threshold is met.

How Much Should You Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row?

Use this table to find the standard closest to your bodyweight. The tiers are standards, not claims about reader submissions.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM scales with bodyweight at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 17 28 41 57 75
120 21 32 46 63 82
130 24 36 51 69 88
140 27 40 56 74 94
150 31 44 60 79 100
160 34 48 65 84 105
170 37 51 69 89 111
180 40 55 73 94 116
190 43 58 77 98 121
200 46 62 81 103 126
210 49 65 85 107 131
220 51 68 89 112 136
230 54 72 92 116 140
240 57 75 96 119 145
250 60 78 99 123 149
260 63 81 103 127 153
270 65 84 106 131 157
280 68 87 110 135 161
290 70 90 113 138 165
300 73 92 116 142 169
310 75 95 119 145 173

Is Your Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row is about 73 lb (0.41x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 94 lb (0.52x), and Elite is 116 lb (0.64x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row is about 36 lb (0.26x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 51 lb (0.36x), and Elite is 69 lb (0.49x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 73 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 40 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 36 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 13 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 60 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 89 lb at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.

By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male lifts about 72 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 64 lb. See the By Age tab for every age band.

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

How Does Age Affect Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row Strength?

How Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM changes with age at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 29 43 61 82 105
20 33 50 70 94 120
25 34 51 72 96 123
30 34 51 72 96 123
35 34 51 72 96 123
40 34 51 72 96 123
45 32 48 68 91 116
50 30 45 64 85 109
55 28 42 59 79 101
60 26 38 54 72 92
65 23 34 49 65 83
70 21 31 44 58 75
75 18 28 39 52 67
80 17 25 35 47 60
85 15 22 31 42 54
90 14 20 28 38 48

What Do Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row shows strong back engagement with minimal momentum. You use RPE to regulate pulling intensity and train strategically to balance horizontal and vertical pull volume.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built substantial back development through the Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row with refined technique and heavy loads. Your grip is no longer a limiting factor, and you manage rowing and pulling fatigue across training blocks.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row strength is exceptional. You can handle loads that most lifters cannot move with strict form, and your back development reflects years of high-volume, periodized pulling work.

How to Progress Your Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row 2x per week, focusing on initiating the pull from your back, not your arms.
  • Use linear progression with strict form - no swinging or excessive body English.
  • Pause briefly at peak contraction to build the mind-muscle connection.
  • Develop grip strength in parallel to avoid it becoming a bottleneck.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a pull variation (different grip width, underhand, or single-arm) for balanced development.
  • Increase pulling volume to 10-15 sets per week across all back movements.
  • Program the Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row at RPE 7-8, saving RPE 9 work for top sets only.
  • Balance horizontal pulls (rows) with vertical pulls (pulldowns/pull-ups).
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with progressive overload on the Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for heavy sets with calculated backoff work at RPE 6-7.
  • Add controlled eccentrics and paused reps to break through plateaus.
  • Total back volume of 15-22 sets per week, distributed across pull patterns.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize the Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row through advanced intensity techniques and precise volume management.
  • Use periodized blocks with planned overreaching and supercompensation phases.
  • Refine execution: squeeze at contraction, controlled stretch, zero momentum.
  • Your back development should reflect years of disciplined, high-volume pulling.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row

["With a dumbbell in each hand (palms facing your torso), bend your knees slightly and bring your torso forward by bending at the waist; as you bend make sure to keep your back straight until it is almost parallel to the floor. Tip: Make sure that you keep the head up. The weights should hang directly in front of you as your arms hang perpendicular to the floor and your torso. This is your starting position.","While keeping the torso stationary, lift the dumbbells to your side (as you breathe out), keeping the elbows close to the body (do not exert any force with the forearm other than holding the weights). On the top contracted position, squeeze the back muscles and hold for a second.","Slowly lower the weight again to the starting position as you inhale.","Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions."]

Read the complete Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row

["Category: Strength","Force: Pull","Movement type: Compound"]

Where Do These Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row Standards Come From?

FitnessVolt keeps each data population labeled. Competition percentiles use verified raw meet results where available. Gym percentile tabs use self-reported Symmetric Strength data. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

Is Your Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:

  1. Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
  2. Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
  3. Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
  4. Use By Age when age-segmented gym data is available.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the one rep max calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

The important rule: do not mix the tabs. Standards, gym percentiles, competition percentiles, and reader logs answer different questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training background. The Intermediate tier is a useful first serious target, while Advanced and Elite represent much harder standards. Use the table above for the number closest to your bodyweight.
Many lifters can reach the Intermediate tier on the Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row after steady training, but the timeline depends on starting point, technique, programming, recovery, and bodyweight changes. Treat the tier as a benchmark, not a deadline.
Yes. Competition views use verified meet-result data where available, gym percentile views use self-reported gym cohorts, and reader-submitted benchmarks are shown only after enough entries are logged. The populations are labeled separately.
For weighted lifts, enter a clean raw 1RM or an estimated 1RM from a recent hard set. For rep-based movements, enter controlled full-range reps. Avoid equipped lifts, partial reps, or bounced reps unless you are comparing against the same style every time.

Related Calculators

One Rep Max Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE
Written by Tom Miller, CSCS · Reviewed by Editorial Team
Tom Miller, CSCS, is a Sr. Editor & Content Strategist with 10 years of experience in Powerlifting and Personal Training. As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he is dedicated to delivering informative, engaging, and reliable health and fitness content. His work has been featured on websites including the-sun.com, Well+Good, Bleacher Report, Muscle and Fitness, UpJourney, Business Insider, NewsBreak and more.